Madras HC moved for putting TN govt orders on website

Admitting a PIL which alleged that Tamil Nadu government was wantonly keeping its orders and cirulars secret and not publishing them on its websites, the Madras High Court bench here today sought details about guidelines on making public such communications.

A bench, comprising Justice S.Manikumar and Justice C T Selvam, directed the government advocate to submit details regarding the guidelines for publishing government orders (GOs), circulars, rules and notifications among others.

“What are the G.O.S that can be published? What G.O.Or ciculars are kept confidential? Whether there is rule and regulation regarding publishing the G.Os on the internet etc,” the Judges said admitting the petition by Centre for PIL Managing Trustee K.K.Ramesh.

The petitioner submitted that the state government did not publish the G.Os, notifications or rules and circulars in the internet and it wantonly kept them secret and suppressed.

On the contrary, the union government published and put all its gazette notifications, orders, circulars on the internet without delay. This was beneficial to the people.

The non-publication of G.Os of more than 35 departments of the state government including Adidravidar and Tribal welfare, Agriculture, Handloom and Law and Justice, affected the people longing for a remedy.

The people were suffering without knowing about the details of the G.Os. Efforts to get the G.O. And other orders under Right to Information Act also did not succeed as the officials concerned gave evasive replies, the PIL alleged.

The government was cheating the people in a technical manner by suppressing the G.Os.

His representation in this regard did not evoke any response. Hence the court should direct the government to put all the G.Os, notifications etc on the internet for the benefit of common and aggrieved people, the petitioner said.